Thoracic Spine Mobility: 7 Movements To Decrease Pain

The thoracic spine (basically your mid-back) should be able to bend, flex, extend and rotate to varying degrees. However, these movements become more restricted over time from mis-use (holding babies/toddlers in weird positions) and sedentary postural demands (sitting at a desk for long hours working).

When the thoracic spine (T-Spine ) becomes stiff, achy and ridged; the joints above and below have to compensate.  This means those joints usually gain more mobility, which results in them also becoming less stable.  These joints include, the scapula (shoulder blade) and the lumbar spine (low back).  Not exactly the place you want to be dumping unwanted mobility into… No wonder your low back aches and your shoulders hurt when your mid-back is stiff.

So let’s loosen up that T-Spine with a few movements to help bring you back to more natural alignment and and regain mobility in the correct places. I’m guilty of it too guys … as you can see, some of my movements are a little tight as well‼️

 

7 Movements to open up your T-Spine and decrease pain

Tips First:

• When you perform these exercises, do them slowly and really focus on breathing through them.  Think about sending oxygen right to the area that you feel the greatest stretch happen.
• Center your attention on what your body is doing through each movement.  Are you letting your low back take the motion or extension, when it should be the lats or the chest?   Focus on reaching up and out of your spine as your moving through each motion.  If you find that you are really tight, again, you may have increased mobility in the shoulders or low back, so don’t allow those muscles to “take” the stretch.  You may have to tuck your hips under to decrease movement in your low back, for example; or pull your front ribs in and back allowing your pecs and lats to open up further. 👍

 

1. Seated Lateral Reach

Sit tall and reach through the crown of your head as if someone is pulling your head up with a string, like a puppet. tuck your ribs and hips under.  Breathe out and reach up and out from the spine and across the body at a diagonal.  You should not feel your waist on the opposite side crunch, there should be some space there.  Feel the stretch along your whole side body… the side which has the arm in the air that is.  

 

2. T-Spine Rotation

Pull up tall and out of your spine, reaching through the crown of your head.  You should feel the stretch in your side body (lats and under the armpit). 

 

2b. T-Spine Rotation Modified

Same as above, just extend one arm over your head and one arm back behind you… be careful not to dump the stretch into your low back. Still pull up tall.

 

3. Single Arm Prayer Pose with hips up

A great pec and lat opener. Again do not let your low back take the stretch and arch … or your shoulder joint.  Allow your mid body to take the stretch by keeping your hips tucked under but still raised off of your heels.  Your front ribs should also be pulled in and your shoulder joint firm.

 

4. Prayer Pose Rotation with hips up

The pecs and lats get stretched deeply in this one, as do the external obliques and the quadratus lumborum (part of low back). Allow your mid body to take the stretch by keeping your hips tucked under and raised off of your heels, your front ribs pulled in and your shoulder joint firm.  Press your rib cage out and to the side that your stretching and focus your breath in that area.

 

5. Open Book Modified

Top knee will rest on a foam roller or firm pillow. As your rotated your thoracic spine and “open the book,” you will press your knee down and not let it lift off the roller.  If you cannot touch your opposite hand to the ground, thats ok, just go as far as you can and each time you perform this movement, go a little further.  Make sure you also look toward your hand as you open your chest up, to also stretch your SCM (front neck muscle).

 

5b. Open Book

Same as above but your knee will be pressed to the ground instead of a roller or pillow.  Adjust the angle of your top knee, to find your balance… as I did.

 

6. TRX T-Spine Rotation with Chest Opener

I absolutely love this one! But you do need a TRX. Front leg is forward in a staggered stance, hold the TRX with your far hand and rotated backwards. Your lats, chest and external obliques, among other muscles, get a wonderful deep stretch.

 

7. TRX Lat and Side Body Opener

Very similar to the “prayer pose rotation with hips up” stretch above; just with a TRX.  However, using the TRX also allows the traps, rhomboids and erector spinae get a stretch, in addition to the lats, chest, quadratus lumborum and external obliques.

 

How to program these movements together

Consistency is key!  Without it, there will be little progress on improving your thoracic spine mobility. Plus, consistency is vital for the health and stability of your shoulders and low back.

Perform DAILY 1x through

1. Seated Lateral Reach 10 repetitions – hold end positioning for 5 seconds
2. T-Spine Rotation or Modified T-Spine Rotation 10 repetitions
3. Single Arm Prayer Pose with hips up 10 repetitions – hold end positioning for 5 seconds
4. Prayer Pose Rotation with hips up  Hold for at least 30 seconds
5. Open Book or Modified Open Book 10 repetitions – hold end positioning for 5 seconds
6. TRX T-Spine Rotation with Chest Opener 10 repetitions – hold end positioning for 5 seconds
7. TRX Lat and Side Body Opener Hold for at least 30 seconds

 

I hope you found this useful in unlocking your thoracic spine to feel and move better.  Your body was designed to be pliable; to be able to enjoy life and perform tasks within.  Keep at this, so that you can bask in the benefits that reap, from obtaining movement in your thoracic spine!